


For Scaly Skin

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-03 10:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: Juvia visits yet another shady potion shop, and spills the contents of her purchase on Lucy accidentally. The results lead to Lucy contracting a very interesting skin condition indeed. So Fairy Tail calls in the expert - who finds this development intriguing... and hilarious.





	1. Chapter 1

Juvia entered a dimly lit shop with trepidation. She remembered what had happened the last time she'd attempted something like this, after all. Although the water mage was not eager to repeat her previous experience with rather suspect liquids of unclear origins, she was somewhat desperate. Besides, now she knew better than to ask for a love potion.

Though the statement, scrawled above the doorframe – "We are not responsible for mishaps or maladies that occur from misuse of our potions" – was not exactly confidence inspiring.

"Can I help you, dearie?" a raspy voice emanated from the darkened nook to her left.

Startled by the unexpected question, Juvia jumped and squeaked. "Oh my goodness, you scared Juvia!"

A middle-aged woman peered strangely at the panicking mage in her shop. Clearing her throat, the blonde woman tried again, in a much more normal tone of voice. "I was here the whole time?" she offered.

"That only makes it even scarier!"

The shopkeeper blinked slowly, and then shook her head, giving up trying to understand. "Alright then…" A couple of strides took her to the desk in the cramped shop. Once she was seated, she looked back up at Juvia. "Let me know if you need any help finding something in particular." With that, she opened up a drawer and took out a pair of tiny reading spectacles. Placing them delicately upon her nose, she brought out a thick tome as well and began to read it.

When it became clear that the shopkeeper was done with Juvia's general existence for the time being, the mage sniffed and began to look around. All around her were shelves, stocked with vials of all shapes, sizes, and colours. Each one was labeled neatly, in precise if somewhat blocky script. It was, however, somewhat difficult to read what they said despite that, due to the poor lighting in the shop.

In fact, that was the only issue Juvia could see with the shop in its entirety. The shelves weren't over packed, everything was labeled, and there wasn't a speck of dust to be seen anywhere within the startlingly immaculate place. It was just simply… dark.

"Um… It's… it's a little hard for Juvia to read the labels. Is it possible to make it a little brighter in here?" Juvia asked tentatively.

"Our main clientele consists of mostly the undead," the shopkeeper replied. She turned a page in her book. "They rather dislike the light, so we keep it low. Also, the main lightbulb needs to be replaced."

Juvia stared at the woman a long moment, uncertain as to whether or not she was joking. "Then… why not change it?"

"We're out. Also, in case you haven't noticed, it's two in the morning. So I can't buy a new one."

She had a point there. Juvia had specifically chosen this shop precisely because it was open despite the late – or early? – hour.

The shopkeeper restrained a heavy sigh as the water mage returned to perusing the shelves. These late nights with no sales was really beginning to wear on her. She hoped that the mage would hurry up and buy something soon. The only other customer that night had been a rather confused young man that hadn't seemed completely all there. Literally. He had sort of been fading in and out. And he didn't respond when she tried to talk to him. Eventually, he'd just wandered off.

Maybe she should take a vacation. Yeah… somewhere tropical, perhaps. Yes. That would be nice. Actually, why wait? As soon as she closed up the shop, she should get packing and hop aboard the first train out of Magnolia bound for someplace warm. Sleep could always be done on the train, after all.

Sensing the shopkeeper's stare on her back, Juvia kept her gaze intensely focused on the mysterious, small bottles in front of her. " _For Skin_ " read the shelf label. Juvia immediately cheered up. This seemed like the right section! What she needed must surely be here!

Cerulean eyes squinted, Juvia inspected each of the vials. Near the end of her search, her gaze caught on one in particular. It was thinner than the rest, and tall enough to scrape the underside of the shelf above. Juvia couldn't tell if it was because of the liquid contents, or due to the hue within the glass itself, but it was a dark amethyst in colour.

"Scales," read Juvia aloud, hoping that the sound of the word would bring forth clarification.

"For scaly skin," supplied the shop mistress.

Joy spread throughout Juvia just like it had the day Fairy Tail had accepted her into its ranks. This was perfect! Juvia had found it so embarrassing when she awoken a couple of days earlier and discovered that her skin was rather dry in places. Really, it was just humiliating for a mage whose elemental specially was water to have a moisture problem! There had been no way she could go to Wendy about the problem, it was just too shameful. Forget telling Gajeel, either – the dragon slayer would have laughed until he nearly suffocated at the idea of Juvia having dry skin. Hmph. As if Gajeel knew anything about proper skin care. Or hair care for that matter. Was the dragon slayer unaware of the existence of items such as shampoo and conditioner? Juvia would like to put a hairbrush in the man's hand to see if he knew what to do with it, honestly. Or would a wire brush be more appropriate?

Juvia shook her head furiously. Now was not the time for daydreaming! The sooner this dry skin problem was taken care of, the better. Calling it scaly would be a bit of an over exaggeration, but semantics hardly mattered at this stage.

Removing her chosen bottle from its place, Juvia happily placed it on the desk in front of the shopkeeper. "Juvia will take this one, thank you! How much does it cost?"

"For the Scales potion? Fifty-thousand Jewel."

Wincing at the price, Juvia nonetheless accepted it. "Juvia will still take it," she crisply informed the shopkeeper. Her need was too urgent to worry or quibble over the price.

Relieved that Juvia was purchasing something after all, the woman pulled out a giant ledger. Dipping a steel-tipped, large owl-feather quill into a waiting inkpot, she began to scrawl out the sale. Bit of an odd choice for this customer, she thought, but then it was hardly her concern what her patrons intended to do with her products. She was just the potioneer. There was a disclaimer above the door and everything. "Now when you use this, shake it vigorously – preferably with the cork still in. Then apply it directly against the skin. Let it soak in, and you should see results within about five minutes or so."

"That fast?!" Juvia gasped. "Then Juvia will have to try it first thing when she wakes up!" Best to do it early in the day, she reasoned, rather than have all the benefits wasted while she slept. "How often does Juvia need to reapply it?"

"Just the once should do the trick."

Restraining a squeal of excitement, Juvia gladly handed over her money to the older woman.

Still regarding Juvia as if she were some strange creature she didn't entirely understand how to handle, the shopkeeper handed over Juvia's new potion in a small, brown paper bag.

Juvia, with little further ado, exited the shop, softly humming under her breath.

The shopkeeper shrugged. Well. Now that that was handled… Time to get ready for that vacation, then!


	2. Chapter 2

The ceiling at 4 am was not a particularly enlightening thing upon which to gaze. Much less for the nearly two hours it had been since Juvia had returned to her room at Fairy Hills and crawled into her bed.

With a groan, she flopped over onto her other side, and stared morosely out the dark window instead. Slowly, the sky she could see began to lighten into a dark, beautiful blue that reminded her of the ocean. The thought made her smile. There had been an entire sea above the clouds that she'd never even dreamt existed before Fairy Tail. It was as if the world had been reborn anew, and with it, Juvia's heart.

"Maybe Juvia will go for an early walk to the bathhouse," she decided. Sitting up and peeling back the covers, she slipped out of her bed and gathered her toiletries, her new moisturizing potion nested between her shampoo and conditioner.

Spring was in full swing, but it was still a little chilly - a brisk breeze ruffling Juvia's hair and nipping at her ears and nose. The air pierced her lungs with every breath, chasing the dregs of sleep away and filling her with energy. There were so many stars in the sky, whole galaxies swirling above her head that she had never seen through the eternal cloud cover. That they were now hers to experience... Juvia did not possess the words express how her soul felt; overfull, bubbling over and bright.

Long before she was ready, Juvia had stepped back into the warm light of the streetlamps in Magnolia proper. It was disappointing to have the beauty of the sky eclipsed, but it would be there tomorrow, Juvia told herself.

The bathhouse came into view soon enough. It looked warm and inviting - open at all hours, to accommodate the absurd schedules kept by the mages to which it catered. The special salts were said to rejuvenate magic faster, if Juvia was remembering correctly. Maybe she should get some of those...? On second thought, she wondered if maybe they would only exacerbate her dry skin problem. After all, they  _were_  salts, and she  _was_  made out of water. Another time, then. Once she was no longer plagued by cracked, itchy skin.

She decided to give herself only the bare minimum of a wash-down in the bathing station. Her last bath had barely been twelve hours ago, so she was probably still fairly clean, she reasoned.

It was only once Juvia had slipped into the soaking pool that she realized how chilled she'd become on the walk over. She giggled to herself as she let the warmth soak into her cold skin and settle in her bones. Simple luxuries like this were the best. It had been too long since Juvia had had a good, decent soak without the clamoring of Fairy Hills' other residents in the background...

Her peace was to be short-lived.

"Argh!" a woman's voice echoed in the steamy room. "Every muscle hurts after that job!"

"That's because you lack training and discipline," another countered.

The first woman sighed heavily, picking up the shower hose and dragging the sitting stool closer. "I'm not sure you can call what you did 'disciplined,' Erza."

Tubs of toiletries cluttered on the titled floor. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"You know what I mean. Or am I recalling a different redhead wrecking the joint?"

"Hmm, yes Natsu did do quite a number on the town, didn't he," Erza mused, brushing out her hair.

Another weary sigh emanated from the washing station. "You know what? Forget I said anything."

"Hello Lucy, Erza," Juvia offered tentatively.

A shriek erupted into the air, and a blonde head whipped around to face Juvia. "Jeez, Juvia! You scared me! I had no idea anyone else was in here!"

"Maybe you should hone your awareness of your surroundings," Erza teased, picking up her shampoo.

"Juvia saw Erza jump, too."

Lucy laughed as Erza stuttered and muttered something resembling an excuse.

Juvia resituated herself on the sitting bench until she was properly facing her friends. "So what brings Lucy and Erza to the public bath so early in the morning?"

"We just finished up with a job, actually." Lathering up her hair, Lucy shrugged. "There was a little issue with getting Natsu offn the train, so the trip back was a bit more complicated than normal. Since it's already morning, we figured we may as well wash the travel gunk off before heading home. Plus... you know. Big tubs are  _wonderful_. How about you? What brings you out this early? Doesn't Fairy Hills have its own bath?"

Sinking further into the hot water, Juvia mumbled into it, "Juvia couldn't sleep. So Juvia took a walk to the public bathhouse."

"Oh, that makes sense," Lucy mused. Then shenter turned to Erza. "Could you wash my back, Erza...?"

The redhead's eyes gleamed. "Would be happy to, Lucy!"

Oh that was a bad idea on Lucy's part. Juvia shuddered and closed her eyes, knowing well how demonlike Erza's scrubbing technique was. Lucy would be lucky to have any hide on her back once it was over.

Juvia sank until she was completely covered in the hot water, bubbles blowing from her nose. Though they were muffled, Lucy's yelps at Erza's tender loving care were still audible to Juvia.

Possessing a body made of water was handy, since she could never drown. Although it was harder to breathe in hot water, since it did not retain oxygen as well as cold. So a minute later, Juvia popped back up.

Just in time to see Lucy reach for the wrong tub.

Juvia floundered in the water, trying stand on the bench. "Wait, Lucy - ARGH!" She slipped and fell off the underwater bench with a splash.

Erza and Lucy looked on with confusion, as Lucy absently rubbed oil into her skin. "...Is she alright?"

A second later, Juvia's head burst from the bathing pool's surface, gasping for air.

"Are you okay, Juvia?" Lucy asked, concern in her gaze.

Juvia grabbed the railing and hauled herself up the pool's steps. "You were..." she gasped. "You were... about to use... Juvia's..."

Lucy blinked, and glanced at the bottle in her hand. "Oh! No, this is mine." With a giggle, Lucy added, "I almost reached for yours on accident, but I stopped myself just in time. They look exactly the same! I guess you're a fan of vintage bottles too, huh."

The blue-haired woman heistated, her eyes darting to her tub. Sure enough, the moisturizer that she'd spent so much money on was still safely situated in it. Heaving a sigh of relief, Juvia started walking over to them. "Maybe Juvia spent too long in the bath," she said.

Erza's eyes widened. "Hey, Juvia, be careful, I dropped some soap earlier, and it..."

Suddenly, Juvia's leg slipped out from under her, as it encountered soap instead of tile. With a shriek, Juvia fell forward onto the slick surface, her outstretched arms catching the edge of her tub and catapulting the contents into the air.

Juvia watched in horror as her dry skin potion and shampoo bottle came down again, smacking into the side of Lucy's head, and the potion bottle breaking into dozens of pieces on impact, glass shards raining onto the tile.

Blood trickled down the side of Lucy's head. "Ouch..."

"Are you alright, Lucy?!" Erza asked frantically, her hands held out ineffectually as she hesitated on which of her friends to help first.

Lucy waved her off. "I'm fine, just a bit of glass and a cut. Are you okay, Juvia? That was a nasty spill."

Juvia carefully picked herself up. "Juvia is more worried about Lucy," she told her. Reaching out, she began to pluck shards of glass caught in Lucy's tresses. "We should tell the front desk about the mess, and-" Juvia froze as she parted Lucy's hair, staring at her cheek.

Delicate rose and gold hued scales spread out beneath Juvia's fingertips, traveling south fast as the potion fluid dripped down Lucy's right side.

Seeing it too, Erza turned an intense stare towards the water mage. "Juvia. What was in that bottle." It was a command, not a question.

"Juvia thought it was a moisturizing potion!" Juvia squeaked.

"Huh? Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Lucy inquired. "Is something wrong?"

Unable to properly articulate what was happening, Juvia simply pointed to Lucy's right arm.

The mage's eyes bulged as she processed what she was seeing. Then she let out an ear piercing shriek. "What are  _those?!_ "

"Scales?" Juvia answered, meek.

"I can see that! Can you fix it?!"

Juvia cowered. "Juvia doesn't know - Juvia thought it was a moisturizing potion!"

Erza requipped into fresh clothes, her wet hair spreading damp circles where it met the cloth. "Where did you purchase this, Juvia? I'll get the boys, and we can see about getting an antidote from the proprietor."

"Juvia thinks the shop was... on Almond Street?" Juvia offered. "But Juvia doesn't recall the name..."

The redhead nodded. "Shouldn't be too hard to find. Take Lucy to Wendy's room at Fairy Hills. We'll meet you there." Without waiting for a response, Erza turned on her heel and strode out of the bath. Distantly, Juvia heard shrieks as she dragged Natsu and Gray out of their own bath.

"Come on," she said, helping Lucy to her feet. "Let's get you dressed, and I'll take you to Wendy. Surely she can help."

Lucy nodded.

"And... Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

Juvia's eyes watered. "Juvia is so, so sorry."

Lucy smiled, though it was far from steady. "Don't worry, it was just an accident."

Swallowing thicky, Juvia replied, "Let's get going."

"Okay."

As worried as she was for her friend, there was a part of Juvia she was not proud of, that was happy that it hadn't happened to her.

* * *

The shopkeeper performed one last check on the contents of her suitcase. Toiletries, check. Clothes, check. Sunscreen... expired, now that she looked more closely at it. It really had been too long since she'd been on a vacation. Better purchase a new bottle when she arrived. It was a beach, after all. It was sure to have some basic supplies for sale. On that note, did she pack her swimsuit...? With a shake of her head, she firmly closed the suitcase.

No more checking. If she had forgotten anything, she could just buy it. If she tarried any longer, she might miss her train.

Exiting her rooms and moving through the storefront, she looked over all the neatly ordered shelves. This place was her life. Making potions was still a joy after so many years. And she did have a reliable customer base, when her family had scoffed about her starting up a business in the center of a human city! She wavered for a moment. Maybe she should... hold off on leaving just yet. But even the most dedicated potioneer required a break now and again, she reminded herself. Her customers would survive with her gone for a week or two.

So she pasted the notice of temporary closure on the door, and locked it with a firm  _snick_  behind her.

Dragging her suitcase down the road - the wheels clattering on every minute crack - she didn't once look back.

If she had, she might have seen a group of young mages running frantically around, searching for a particular storefront.


	3. Chapter 3

Possessing the good sense to cover up Lucy in a towel, and thanks to the early hour, Juvia managed to get Lucy to Fairy Hills with no incidents.  Stealing across the quiet residence floor, they approached Wendy’s awaiting door.  The poor girl would likely be greatly startled at being awoken so early, but there was no helping it.

That Wendy might not _be_ able to help was a possibility that didn’t bear consideration.  Wendy had to be able to fix this.  She had to.  After all, she was _Wendy_.

Juvia reached up and quietly rapped her knuckles on the door.

There was no response.

Trying again, a little more forcefully but hopefully not enough to wake up anyone else, Juvia was rewarded with a very irritable grumble that she recognized as Carla.

The door was yanked open with no ceremony, the small cat already inhaling deeply to begin a tirade against the callers.

“Sorry, Carla!” Lucy whispered, as Juvia shoved her in past the exceed and followed close behind.

“Good heavens, what is all this about?” she hissed at them, her tail waving furiously.  “To come barging in here, interrupting our sleep like this… You two better have a darn good reason to- Oh my word!”  The exceed’s lecture was cut short by Lucy removing the towel covering her, revealing the soft pink and gold scales which had only grown in number over the past twenty or so minutes.

“We wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t an emergency,” Lucy pleaded, tears in her eyes.

“…Huh?” Wendy’s voice echoed in the now silent room as she sat up in bed and blearily rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  “Carla?  I thought I heard Lucy just now…”

“You did, child,” Carla stated, turning to her groggy partner.  “And it looks like she needs your help pretty badly.”

That snapped the small dragon slayer into immediate attentiveness.  “Lucy, what’s wrong?” she demanded, throwing the covers off.

Juvia flicked on the lights, so that they weren’t trying to assess the situation in the light of predawn.

Wendy’s eyes grew huge once they adjusted to the sudden light, and processed just what Lucy had growing on her.  “How did this happen?” she asked, raising her arms up.  “Did it happen during your job?”

Lucy shook her head, her face beginning to burn red with embarrassment.

Juvia also felt her face burn, but from shame.  “It was a potion,” the water mage said softly.  “It was meant to be a moisturizer for Juvia, though.  It broke, and then spilled.”

Ushering Lucy to the bed, Wendy sat down beside her.  Soothing light emanated from her hands, washing over Lucy’s scaly skin in gentle waves.

…Lucy’s scaly skin.

_“For Scaly Skin.”_

Juvia felt her stomach drop to her ankles as the cold light of understanding washed through her.

“Actually,” she mumbled, absolutely mortified by her error, “the potion might have done exactly what it was intended to.”

Carla turned to regard Juvia with stern eyes.  “Explain yourself more clearly.”

“Juvia thought she was buying a moisturizing potion,” she explained meekly.  “But now Juvia thinks that she bought a potion meant to… to grow scales…”

“Why on Earthland would you buy something like that?!”  The cat was aghast at the very notion.

“Juvia thought it was a moisturizer!”

“What kind of shop were you in that you could mix those two up?!”

“Juvia doesn’t know, okay?!”

Lucy rolled her eyes at them.  “Could you two maybe keep it down a bit?” she cautioned them, having finally calmed down from her hysterics down that Wendy was on the case.  “I don’t exactly want this broadcasted to all of Magnolia, you know?”

“Sorry, Lucy…” Juvia apologized.  “Juvia is so very, very sorry.”

Letting out a sigh, Carla begrudgingly added, “Yes, that wasn’t very thoughtful of us.  My apologies, Lucy.”

The light surrounding Wendy’s hands sputtered out, suddenly, and the girl slumped on her bed.

“Wendy!” Carla exclaimed, rushing forward to the young girl.  “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head slightly, and wiping her forehead.  Then she raised her hands again.  “I’m fine,” she insisted, the glow around her hands resuming.  “It just… doesn’t like my magic.  That’s all.”

Several more, tense minutes passed, as Wendy continued to pour her healing magic into the scales on Lucy’s arm.

Finally, the glow faded again, and Wendy’s arms dropped to the bed.  Completely exhausted and with tears brimming in her eyes, Wendy met Lucy’s hopeful gaze with one of deep sadness.  “I’m sorry, Lucy,” she told her, her voice barely above that of a whisper.  “But… I can’t seem to fix this.”

* * *

“Excuse me!”

The old man running the potion shop squeaked in terror as a redheaded woman forced his door open – pushing it inward so hard that the sound of splintering wood filled his shop.  Door still held firmly in her hand, the intruder marched over to where he was taking inventory, taking no heed of the glass shards she stepped on from the phial the old man had dropped in his profound fright.

“Did you sell a skin changing potion to a blue haired woman early this morning?!”

He stared at the wreckage of his doorframe, and then back at the object still clutched in her hand – unable to focus on what the destructive woman was asking of him.  The door hadn’t even been locked, he thought morosely.  From the outside, all she’d needed to do was pull instead of push.

“Excuse me!” she bellowed at him, pulling his attention solidly back to her.  Somewhere in the shop came the distinct sound of cracking glass.  “Did you sell a skin changing potion to a blue haired woman early this morning?!”

There was no need to project from her diaphragm so, the shopkeeper thought, flinching at the volume.  “I’m afraid I did not, miss.  We only just opened, after all.  But if you’re looking for a potion like that…”

“Then where might I find such a seller?” she promptly demanded, without waiting for him to finish the sentence.

Now he was of half a mind not to tell her, having been so rudely interrupted in the process of relaying the exact information she desired.  But there was the chance that she’d leave his shop sooner and break fewer things if just gave her what she wanted, and he decided to take that gamble.  “Two streets over you’ll find a shop named _Potions For Everything_.  They’re open late and they probably carry what you’re looking for.  But I have to warn you, the proprietor is currently—”

“Thank you for your assistance; I will check it out immediately.”  With that, she whipped around and marched for the exit.

“Ah, wait!” the old man cried.  “My door!”

The object slammed firmly into what remained of the frame and the woman abandoned it there, already running down the street dragging two young men with her.

If she had only stayed a moment longer, he could have explained that the proprietor of that shop had left early that morning for an extended vacation somewhere.  Which had been disappointing to discover when he’d stopped by for a chat before opening shop himself.  He had her lacrima number, however.  Perhaps he should give her a call to tell her about the woman searching for her.

Then with a creak, the door fell backwards into the shop with a _thump_ that rattled the shelves and their stock.  In the backroom, something crashed and shattered into what was undoubtedly hundreds of fragments.

Or maybe he could just make an invoice for Fairy Tail for the damages to his shop, he decided.  He recognized that emblem when he saw it.

He picked up the phone to call the millwork company that had installed the door in the first place, promptly forgetting all about calling his friend about the strangers.


	4. Chapter 4

Once more, Lucy found herself swathed in fabric to hide the scales spreading across her skin. This time it was the top sheet from Wendy's bed instead of a towel, but Lucy still felt the sting of humiliation. Wendy's inability to heal what was wrong with her skin had certainly been a shock – this was the first time since Cait Shelter that Lucy could recall the diminutive dragon slayer being unable to help someone with magic.

Exhausted by her efforts to help Lucy, Wendy hovered a few inches off the ground, Carla carrying her at Lucy's side. Juvia led the impromptu party's way, making sure their path through the dorm's hallways was clear of early risers. There had been a near miss with Mirajane, but other than that so far they hadn't seen anyone else. It paid to be cautious, however.

It wasn't long until they were clear of the dorm and headed down the trail that led into the woods. Fairy Hill's seclusion and proximity to the forest worked to the group's advantage, and soon Lucy was able to drop the sheet. Her new scales gleamed in the dawn light streaming through the trees – the hues warm and very pretty despite how little Lucy desired to possess them.

She didn't really blame Juvia for this mess she now found herself in. It had sounded like an honest mistake, really. Lucy couldn't say that she wouldn't have done something similar – especially given her history in that department as well. The similarities between her escapade with the unintentional invisibility potion were not lost on her. She'd been convinced that that potion would help her skin as well. Really, she understood completely.

Though it did sort of make her wonder about why the contents of skin care potions in particular were so very prone to mishap and misuse.

Also, seriously what kind of shop would cater to something for inducing scales? And that that would be the shop Juvia happened to enter, then coincidentally spill the purchased potion on Lucy? Lucy may have considered herself lucky, but clearly it was not good luck in this instance.

Hopefully Porlyusica would be able to help her out. Wendy had reasoned that because it was a potion that caused the problem, the elderly healer would be better equipped to help Lucy. She had more experience with brewing and the side effects of potions. Though she might be more than a little annoyed by the early call, Lucy was unwilling to wait any longer than necessary to deal with her predicament. Wendy's medical opinion was in agreement with that sentiment; she knew that it was far easier to remove potion effects early on as opposed to after they had "set."

After about fifteen minutes of walking, the group spied the reclusive old woman's cottage through the foliage. Smoke from the chimney curled into the morning air – sharp against the clean smell of the morning dew-laden greenery.

Carla set Wendy down upon the ground in front of the wooden steps leading up to the cottage's door. Wendy ascended them without much difficulty – her magic and stamina having recovered somewhat along the way thanks to Carla and the clean air provided by the trees. She pricked her ears, relieved to hear movement within the building that indicated that Porlyusica was awake. Raising her hand, she knocked three times upon the grain of the door.

An unintelligible grumble arose from the other side, followed by shuffling noises. "Who is it at this ungodly hour?!" The grumpy voice of Fairy Tail's healer passed through the door clearly enough to be heard by the entire group, who exchanged nervous glances over Porlyusica's poor mood.

Undeterred by the irascible disposition of her mother's Edolas counterpart, Wendy answered, "It's Wendy, Granny. Something went wrong with a potion for Lucy, and my magic isn't working to fix it. We need your help."

With an exasperated sigh, Porlyusica unlocked and opened the door. The pink haired woman looked out over the group of mages, raising an eyebrow when her gaze alighted upon Lucy and her rosy gold scales. "Well that's something you don't see every day," she commented. "Come on in, then. Don't stand around like fools."

They sat around the small table in the cramped cottage as Wendy related all that had happened thus far and what she had done in her attempts to rectify it. The entire time, Porlyusica's eyes never left Lucy and her scales. It was the first time Lucy had ever seen the healer's eyes light up with curiosity instead of disdain. She couldn't help but shift nervously under the weight of Porlyusica's scholarly regard.

"Hold still," Porlyusica commanded with a snap in her voice. Lucy immediately stilled as she was ordered. "Now hold out your arm for me to look at." When Lucy complied, Porlyusica took the limb into her wrinkled hands. Her fingers ran gently over the scales, pressing into them in places. They gave under her touch, soft and supple. "Does that hurt at all?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, it doesn't. But I can feel the pressure from your fingers."

"Is that all you can feel? How is the sensitivity compared to your skin?"

"It's… I don't know," Lucy admitted. "It's weird. Maybe a little more sensitive? But I can't feel the air the same way. If that makes any sense."

Porlyusica nodded and lowered Lucy's arm to the table. "I've learned a great deal about potions and their ingredients over the years," she began, leaning back in her chair. "But I have no idea how to produce an effect such as this. I mostly concentrated on healing elements, rather than transformative ones."

Despair crept through Lucy, tears welling in her eyes over her situation. That was it. If Porlyusica had no ideas, and Wendy's magic wouldn't work, then she had no choice but to accept that this didn't have a quick fix and she would be stuck like this for an indeterminate amount of time. There was still Erza's hunt for the potioneer, but Lucy wasn't holding out too much hope on that front.

A click of the healer's tongue brought Lucy back to reality, and she stared up into an expression filled with annoyance. "Don't give up just yet," Porlyusica admonished her. "I don't know of a potion that can cause this. Lucky for you, however, I  _have_  seen a  _curse_  do exactly this before. You have a much tamer version of that woman's predicament. You only have a few scales to contend with."

Porlyusica stood up, and walked over to her storage cupboards. After rummaging through them for a few minutes, she produced a phial. She returned to the table and passed it over to Lucy. "This might not work on you," she cautioned. "As curses are a little different than ordinary magic, let alone the kind that brewing produces. But this potion has no side effects, so it's worth a try."

Eagerly, Lucy unstopped the bottle and downed the contents. It tasted vile, but it was worth it if it could cure her affliction. She waited with bated breath, hoping that this would be all she needed.

But nothing happened.

"Hmph." Porlyusica breathed out heavily through her nose. "I suppose we'll have to come up with a different solution, then."

Lucy sighed heavily, beginning to wonder where Erza was and what was taking her so long to find the shopkeeper.

* * *

 

The shopkeeper sighed and tutted at the newspaper. Really, Fairy Tail just never quit with their shenanigans, did they? Trying to reroute a river that had changed course due to flooding was beyond the scope of mortals, and it was a wonder that the situation hadn't ended with more than a collapsed cliff and now three new river branches. She thought she recalled them destroying an entire harbor town once, too, with a giant wave. That had been a number of years ago, though.

A hiss echoed in the station as an approaching train's hydraulic brakes engaged. She calmly folded up the newspaper, and laid it beside her on the bench for the next person. Above her head, the station master's voice filtered into the space from the staticky loudspeaker, announcing the train's obvious arrival. Was there any point in such an endeavor when the station was vacant? She could only wonder. Regardless, this would be the one heading in her desired direction. So she picked up her rolling luggage, and hauled herself to her feet.

Confidently, she strolled up to the doors, and passed her ticket to the waiting conductor. After he inspected it, he nodded, and she entered the locomotive.

Stowing her luggage in the netted bins above her mercifully empty compartment, she then settled down into her seat. Springing for a little privacy would become a blessing further along, once the train picked up more passengers. There was quite a ways to go, and a large number of stops along the way.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a flurry of activity. Turning, she stared out the window as two young men and a fiery haired woman swarmed into the train on the opposite platform. Must be in a hurry, she decided. Maybe they were Fairy Tail mages, late to a job. The thought made her chuckle, as she watched it pull out of the station heading in the exact opposite direction of her own. Good - they managed to catch it in time. Given Fairy Tail's propensity for disaster, she could only feel relief that they were going nowhere near her vacation destination.

After a moment's consideration, she turned away from the window and opened up the informational pamphlet that had been given to her along with her ticket.

Now... when would the dining car be open...?


End file.
